Ripples in a Paddling Pool
by ravengal
Summary: [Two-shot] Now that Ash is much older, feelings he never knew he had bubble to the surface unexpectedly. He's a fish out of water now, for sure. Pokeshipping.


Author's note: Hi!

... I don't even know, man. XD I just felt like writing this thing, I guess.

Dedicated to the classic Pokemon pairing! The first one I ever shipped! The one that is more nostalgic to me than any other!

Can pokeshipping ever be written right? I dunno, man. Younger me failed at it, so older me is giving it another try, for old times' sake!

Take it away, fic!

P.S. One point to you if you can guess what the title means and another point to you if you can guess the outfits that are described.

* * *

Ash smiled as he watched Pikachu and Buneary cuddle up together by the campfire. It had been many years since the two Pokemon had met, but meeting up with Dawn again and travelling with her had caused something to happen between them. He didn't know what had been said, or even when it had happened, but it had made them a couple.

"Oh, they're so cute, aren't they, Ash?" Dawn asked in a quiet voice, so as not to disturb them.

"Yeah, they are," Ash replied in an equally quiet voice.

"She's liked him for so long that it's really nice to see them together, at last."

"Yeah."

In truth, he'd never really understood love. It had always been a foreign concept to him. Three things that he _did_ understand quite well were Pokemon, battling and friendship. Over the years, however, he'd gradually begun to understand. Little by little, he'd begun to piece together exactly what love was and why people felt it. Pikachu dating Buneary had, of course, been the biggest learning experience.

Dawn giggled. "Kinda makes me wish I had a boyfriend, too."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm... but I've got no one in mind at the moment." She paused. "What about _you_, Ash? Did _you_ ever have a crush?"

He paused in thought. It was honestly never something he'd considered before.

"I dunno..."

"You don't know? How could you not know that?"

"I guess I never really thought about it..."

"Hmm... what about any of your travelling companions?"

Ash looked down at the grass and frowned in thought. In his mind, he cycled backwards through them all. Were there any that had even remotely stirred up those feelings in him?

As he pulled his knees up to his chest, many female faces flashed by in his thoughts, one after another. All of them were smiling and calling his name. Each one spoke a catchphrase or displayed some type of quirk.

Eventually, his thoughts landed on a girl from his distant past. One that he'd not seen for a very long time. His mind replayed the moment when he'd said goodbye to her. How his heart had ripped in two. Then the moment they'd met up again. How his stomach had fluttered and his heart had leapt into his throat.

He exhaled sharply. "No way..."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ash?"

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

Ash looked up to see Pikachu leaning against Buneary, while giving him a worried look.

He tried to smile. "I'm fine, Pikachu," he said, "don't worry."

"Pika?"

"Is something the matter?" Dawn asked.

"No, I... just had a weird thought, is all," Ash replied.

"About what?"

"... N-Nah, it doesn't matter."

"Come on, Ash, you can talk to me."

"... Boy, it sure is late, huh, Dawn? It's about time I slept!" He jumped into his sleeping bag and lay down. "Goodnight!"

"Ash!"

"Pi?" Pikachu asked.

"Buneary..." Buneary said.

"Ash, what is wrong with you?" Dawn asked in annoyance. She paused. "And you never answered my question."

"Question?" Ash asked. "What question? I don't remember a question!"

"Ash..."

"Pika..." Pikachu said.

"Night, Dawn!" Ash said. He pretended to snore.

Dawn huffed. "You haven't grown up at all, have you?" she asked.

He immediately stopped snoring and gazed sadly at the grass.

"Pi..." Pikachu said.

"What's wrong, Ash?"

There was a long pause. Eventually, Ash sat up and looked Dawn in the eye. "I..." he replied. "How do I...?"

Dawn tilted her head at him. "Hmm?"

He looked away awkwardly. "I think I may have..."

"Hmm? What?"

Ash paused. After a few moments, he growled in frustration. "How am I supposed to say that I may like one of my friends, huh? How do you _do_ that?"

Dawn blinked at him. "You do?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said in surprise.

"I thought about it and then I..." he said. He growled in frustration again. "I don't know _what_ to think right now! I never thought about it before, but now that I've thought about it, I'm really confused!"

"... Who is it?" Dawn asked.

Ash deflated. "I..."

"... Pikachupi?" Pikachu asked.

"Bun?" Buneary asked the mouse.

"Pika, Pi Pikachu..."

Ash got the strange feeling that Pikachu knew who he was talking about. He couldn't actually understand the Pokemon's language, but, somehow, he could feel that he knew. He blushed.

"It's, uh..." he replied, "it's..."

"Hmm?" Dawn asked. "May?"

"No..."

"Iris?"

"No..."

Dawn blushed. "... It's not _me_, is it?"

"No!" Ash paused. "It's... Misty."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped happily.

"Buneary?" Buneary asked.

_I knew it..._ Ash thought. Pikachu had known all along. He lowered his hat over his eyes in embarrassment.

"Hmm..." Dawn replied. "Oh, wait! She's the girl on your lure, isn't she? That red-head!"

"Yeah..."

"And you like her?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow! I'm actually surprised!"

He cautiously looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because since when have you ever been into girls? I honestly thought you'd die a lonely old man!"

He looked away grumpily. "Oh, come on..."

"What?" She paused. "Either that, or you'd marry your Pokemon, or something!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried in horror.

"Alright, I get it..." Ash replied.

Dawn giggled. "Sorry," she said. She paused. "Seriously, though, I had a feeling all those years ago that maaaaybe you liked her. Just a hunch."

He glanced back at her. "Really?"

"Mmm-hmm! I have a good sense for these things! Right, Buneary?"

"Buneary Bun!" Buneary replied happily.

"Though you were a liiiitle naïve at the time, so I figured you probably didn't even realise."

"Well, thanks..."

"What do _you_ think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu hopped over and stood in front of Ash. He folded his arms and nodded knowingly. "Pika Pika..." he said.

"... You knew, even before _I_ did, didn't you, buddy?" Ash asked.

"Piiii..." Pikachu gave him an exasperated look. "Pikachu..."

"Man, that's... kind of embarrassing."

Dawn laughed. "Only you, Ash..." she said.

After a moment, Ash sniggered. Then he burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Everyone around the campfire laughed with him.

* * *

It was finally the end of another adventure. Ash had said goodbye to Dawn – promising to travel with her and Buneary again some other time – and returned home.

He'd sat around for some time, thinking about things, until an idea suddenly came to mind. He slurped down the rest of his soup.

"Mom, I'm going out for a while!" he said, getting out of his chair.

Delia gave him a sad smile. "Off on another adventure, Ash?" she asked.

"Nah, I'll be back in about... I dunno, two weeks?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, jumping off the table onto his shoulder.

Delia's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked.

He looked at her. "Hmm?" he replied.

"I'm surprised." She smiled. "Normally, you just rush off on your next adventure immediately. I was kind of expecting it, so I made you a new set of clothes."

Ash paused, staring at her. "Mom..."

"Let me go get them for you!" She stood up and walked out of the room.

"Mr. Mime!" Mimey said, following her.

Ash stood there, staring at the door. She was right. He'd never really thought about it, being the excitable youth that he'd always been, but she was right. He'd come home after an adventure, then immediately go on the next one, without any thought to his mother. When was the last time they'd spent any time together? When was the last time he'd been around her for longer than a day?

Guilt started to build in his chest. He gave Pikachu a sad sideways glance, which was returned in equal measure. Pikachu knew what he was feeling. Their bond was so deep that they could understand each other without words.

He was growing up – learning about himself in ways that he never thought he would – and he wasn't sure he liked it.

* * *

It had taken a lot of travelling on foot – because, even after all these years, it was still his preferred mode of travel – but he'd finally made it. Directly in front of him was the Cerulean Gym.

He suddenly felt nervous. More nervous than he could ever recall feeling. He was just visiting a friend, right? What was wrong with that? There was nothing to be nervous about!

He fidgeted with his red and white jacket, which was resting on his black T-shirt. This was a nice outfit that his mother had made for him. He honestly preferred blue, but he wasn't going to complain. Suddenly conscious of his looks, he brushed imaginary dust off his light blue jeans.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked from his shoulder. "Pikachu?"

"I'm fine, Pikachu!" he replied with a smile. "Just gonna say 'hi' to a friend!" He paused. "A friend I haven't seen in years... A friend I..." He shook his head and frowned. "No! I can do this."

He straightened his red and white cap and headed for the building. Once he reached the door, he paused, his hand on the handle. He glanced at Pikachu, who nodded at him.

"Pika!" Pikachu said.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked inside.

"Hello?" he called out, closing the door behind him. He received no answer, so he decided to walk around. "Hello? Anyone here?" There was still no answer. "I'm here to see the gym leader! Hello?"

Suddenly, a blonde-haired woman appeared from around the corner. She was staring at a clipboard.

"Like, hello and stuff," she said, noting something down. "Sorry. Very busy." She pointed her pen towards the nearest hallway. "If you want the gym leader, she's, like, down that way."

Ash paused a moment as he tried to remember the woman's name. Eventually, it came to him.

"Daisy?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him. "Do I, like, know you?"

He smiled. "It's me, don't you remember? Ash, from Pallet Town!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said happily.

Daisy paused a few moments, then gasped and dropped her clipboard. "Like, ohhhh, my gosh!" she cried. "It's you! It's, like... totally you! My little sister's boyfriend from all those years ago!"

Ash blushed. "B-Boyfriend?" he asked. "I'm not her boyfriend!"

"How cuuuute! You're, like, still denying it!" She winked, pointing the pen at him. "You just, like, wait there and I'll go get her, kay?" She picked up her clipboard and ran off down the hallway. "Mistyyyy! There's, like, someone here to see youuuu!"

Ash could feel his heartbeat increasing, so he took a few soothing breaths to calm himself.

"Pikapi Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

"I'll be fine, Pikachu..." he replied. He tapped his red and black sneaker on the floor anxiously.

"He's, like, down this waaaay!" Daisy called out.

"Come on, who is it?" a familiar voice asked. Ash felt his shoulders stiffen. "Is he a challenger?"

Suddenly, Daisy appeared back in the room. She twirled and pointed in Ash's direction with her pen.

"Like, why not ask him yourself?"

Misty shortly followed. Ash's eyes widened at how different she looked from when he'd last seen her. All this time, he'd been imagining the girl with the messy ginger hair in a side ponytail, but now she actually looked like a gym leader.

Her hair was now in a very messy bob cut and she appeared to be wearing a pale blue jacket over a white one-piece swimsuit. On her feet were a pair of white sandals.

Looking at her, though, made all the old feelings rush back at once. It all felt so familiar, yet so new at the same time. Only, now, he could put a name to these emotions. He wasn't sure he liked that.

She smiled at him. "Hi there! Welcome to the..." She froze, her eyes widening. "Ash?"

He smiled back. "Hey, Misty," he replied.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried.

She beamed, rushing over to him. "Ash!" she cried. "And Pikachu! How long has it been?"

"_Too_ long!" Ash replied.

"Aww," Daisy said, "that's, like, so cute!"

Misty blushed, then frowned at her older sister. "Daisy!" she yelled.

"What? You've, like, finally been reunited with your boyfriend after all these years! It's, like, soooo romantic!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" She turned back to Ash, looking quite flustered. "Jeez..." After a moment, she smiled again. "Hey, Ash, how about I show you around the gym? It looks a lot different than the last time you saw it!"

"Yeah, okay!" Ash replied.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.

"And maybe you can tell me all about your adventures, while we're at it! I'm sure you've been on a lot since we last met."

"You bet I have! I've got a ton of stories to tell!" He glanced at Pikachu. "Right, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied.

"Great!" Misty said. "Just follow me, then." She began walking away.

"Alright," Ash replied, following her.

"Aww..." Daisy said as they passed her. "Like, how sweet..."

"Enough, already!" Misty snapped.

Ash gave a nervous chuckle, which Pikachu mimicked. Some things certainly hadn't changed...


End file.
